According to the March 2009 issue of Social Science Quarterly, a new study shows a correlation between the behavior of the child and the name assigned by the parents. Professor David Kalist at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania believes that giving children uncommon names makes them more vulnerable toward teasing. This, in turn, may produce more angry children that could act out more often than if they had a more common name.
Bad Boy Names
Kalist notes that "unpopular names are likely not to be the cause of crime but do increase the tendency toward juvenile delinquency." [1] Certain names are attached more often to problem lists. Kalist has made a list of Bad Boy names.
- Alec
- Ernest
- Garland
- Ivan
- Kareem
- Luke
- Malcolm
- Preston
- Tyrell
- Walter
The two authors of the study, David Kalist and associate Daniel Lee, studied 15,000 names given to baby boys between the years of 1987 and 1991. The pair found evidence that the more unlikely the name, the more likely the boy was to perform delinquent acts.
Erin Burnett on the Today Show agreed with the researchers and added, "Basically, if you’re teased mercilessly your entire childhood for your name, you become an angry, bitter person, and you lash out in a way that could be negative." [1]
Studies Support Strange Name Syndrome
In the January 29, 2009 TIME article, "Can Your Name Make You a Criminal?" past studies are listed to support the Kalist-Lee theory.
A 1993 article in The Journal of Social Psychology, "Positive or negative connotations of unconventionally and conventionally spelled names" authored by Mehrabian and Piercy states that people with names of Dyan instead of Diane and Geoffrey instead of Jeffrey are less likely to be moral, warm and successful. [2]
A 1991 study by Albert Mehrabian, "Genetic, Social and General Psychology Monographs" found that boys are judged by their names when it comes to manliness and trustworthiness. [2] Some names just command less respect for the individual than others.
Professor Melvin Manis from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor states, "Having an unusual name leads to unfavorable reactions in others, which then leads to unfavorable evaluations of the self." [2]
There seems to be an economic component to this theory, as well. The less education parents have, the more likely they are to select unpopular names for their children. Boys with unpopular names are more likely to live in a single-parent household and have less money. Names do make an impression and a strange name may make it more difficult to find a job. Not having a job can lead to anger and frustration and the person is then more likely to act out in an inappropriate manner.
Names are Important
Parents selecting a name for a child should take this information under advisement. Names that are overly creative may be stacking the deck against the child. Common names are a safer bet and more likely to be attached to a more successful and socially appropriate child. The proof is in the crime report?
Related articles: Boys Need Nurturing and Purpose, Same Gender Classes in South Carolina
[1] Michael Inbar, "Top 10 'bad boy' baby names," Today, msnbc, July 17, 2009.
[2] John Cloud, "Can Your Name Make You a Criminal?," TIME, January 29, 2009.
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